The invention relates to an operating lamp device comprising a light source and means for directing a light beam emitted by said light source towards a pre-determined treatment area of a patient lying on an operating table or sitting in a treatment chair and for maintaining the light beam on said treatment area during a movement of said operating table or treatment chair.
Such an operating lamp device is known from DE-A-3.227.494. In this known apparatus rather complicated measures have been taken to provide a movement for said light source, such that its light beam remains directed towards the respective treatment area. Moreover, for accomplishing the movement of the light source moreover complicated computing measures have been taken.
It is an object of the invention to provide an operating lamp device of the present type, using which the goal, maintaining the light beam on the treatment area, may be reached in a less complicated way.
Thus, according to the invention, the operating lamp device is characterised in that the means comprise a guiding apparatus for the light source, which basically has a stationary position relative to the operating table or treatment chair and which offers to said light source a spherical cap-shaped area of movement, wherein the centre of curvature of the spherical cap coincides with the treatment area of the patient.
As a result of the spherical cap-shaped area of movement of the light source the light beam always will be directed towards the respective treatment area irrespective the position of the light source. Because the guiding apparatus basically has a stationary position relative to the operating table or treatment chair a movement of the operating table or treatment chair will lead to a corresponding movement of the guiding apparatus, such that the position of the light source relative to the treatment area of the patient will not change.
In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the invention the guiding apparatus is attached to a movable back support or neck support of the operating table or treatment chair.
Because the guiding apparatus is attached to a movable back support or neck support the operating lamp device is extremely fit for use with dental treatments. For, in this case the mouth of the patient will be the treatment area and its position is principally defined by the back support or neck support, repectively, of a treatment chair. When the neck support or back support is moved relative to the remaining section of the treatment chair the guiding apparatus automatically will move along, such that the light beam remains directed on the mouth of the patient.
Further, in correspondence with the invention, a preferred embodiment is mentioned, wherein the guiding apparatus is attached to a separate carrier not mechanically coupled with the operating table or treatment chair, said carrier being movable in correspondence with the movement of the operating table or treatment chair under influence of control signals generated by motion sensors in said operating table or treatment chair.
Just as with the previously mentioned embodiment there exists a coupling between the position of the operating table or treatment chair (for example the position of its movable back support or neck support) and the position of the guiding apparatus, and thus the light source. Now however this coupling is not realised in a mechanical way but in a not-mechanical way, for example using electric sensors. Due to the absence of a mechanical coupling between the operating table or treatment chair, respectively, and the guiding apparatus one can avoid, that vibrations of the operating table or treatment chair, as occur for example during medical treatments, are transferred to the guiding apparatus and the light source, leading to disturbing motions of the light source and the light beam.
Further it is preferred, that the guiding apparatus is adjustable relative to the operating table or treatment chair. This adjustability of the guiding apparatus is intended to allow for directing the light beam to the respective treatment area before treating a new patient. For example, this adjustability may occur in the longitudinal direction of the operating table or treatment chair, respectively, transversely thereto and mainly perpendicularly to the plane of the operating table or treatment chair, respectively. Using such an adjustability one further may take into account different body dimensions of patients. Once adjusted the guiding apparatus however defines the mentioned spherical cap-shaped area of movement, in the centre of curvature of which is positioned the treatment area of the patient.
Further it may be advantageous if the guiding apparatus is able to be moved away, such a to be pivoted away, from the operating table or treatment chair. Through moving away the guiding apparatus it for example can be made easier for a patient to step in or out of a treatment chair, without being hindered by the guiding apparatus.
Constructively several possibilities exsist for realising a guiding apparatus according to the invention. So a constructively favourable embodiment is mentioned, according to which the guiding apparatus comprises a first arc-shaped guide extending transversally to the longitudinal direction of the operating table or treatment chair and a second arc-shaped guide movable along said first arc-shaped guide and extending into the longitudinal direction of the operating table or treatment chair, wherein the light source is able to move along said second arc-shaped guide.
In combination both arc-shaped guides define a spherical cap along which the light source may be moved, and of which the centre of curvature coincides with the respective treatment area of the patient.
When, in correspondence with another embodiment of the operating lamp device according to the invention, the light source is provided with proximity switches for causing a motion of the light source along the guiding apparatus, a displacement of the light source along the guiding apparatus may be realised without any physical contact between the operator and the light source. Thus any risk of contamination is prevented. For example, a displacement of the light source along the guiding apparatus might be needed to change the angle of attack of the light beam at the treatment area.
When the light source is adjustable relative to the guiding apparatus along a radian of the spherical cap, the distance between the light source and the treatment area may be changed, such as to change the light intensity at the treatment area.
Finally it is possible, that the light source is automatically movable along the guiding apparatus dependent upon the position of the operating table or treatment chair. An example thereof is an automatic displacement of the light source dependent upon the inclination of a neck support or back support, respectively, of a treatment chair. When the back support or neck support encloses a large angle with the remaining section of a treatment chair, such that the treated patient more or less sits up, it relates mostly to a medical treatment in the lower jaw of the patient; this will lead to a corresponding angle of attack of the light beam. If however, the angle between the back support or neck support and the remaining section of the treatment chair is small, and the patient is substantially lying, this generally indicates a treatment of the upper jaw of the patient. In such a case the light beam should reach the treatment area from another direction. Due to the automatic adjustment of the light source along the guiding apparatus now such a displacement of the light source is provided automatically dependent upon the angle of inclination between the back support or neck support, respectively, and the remaining section of the treatment chair. In a way, the treatment chair deduces from the angle of inclination whether it relates to a treatment at the lower jaw or at the upper jaw of the patient.